The Hand That Takes
by a62belle
Summary: Hunted by Hydra Agent Victoria Hand, the team on S.H.I.E.L.D. 616 face dire life-and-death situations. Is it possible to find true love even in such an unfortunate scenario? AU. Skoulson


**Skye **

It's true, what Agent Lumley said. Where I go, death follows.

Ward is the first to go. Ward and Garrett say they are going to help fend off the strike team sent in by Agent Hand.

Haha. Garrett is Hydra. He strangles Ward in a few seconds. He falls limp to the ground. I see it from my hiding position in my SUV.

Oh no, not Ward, I think. He was one of the best S.H.I.E.L.D. agents out there. It's a pity to see him go.

May is next. She jumps on the strike team, tries to take them out . She is mostly successful, until a stray bullet fired by her own gun ricochets and hits her in the neck. She's gone.

It was a completely meaningless, avoidable, unnecessary death. That's what stings the most.

Fitz is terrified. I don't even know where AC is.

I'm worried for him, for both of them. Especially AC. He's probably one of the highest ranking non-Hydra, alive S.H.I.E.L.D. agents now. He'll be a VERY wanted target.

Fitz locks himself in the lab. Good call, I think, it's bullet proof, shatter-proof, everything-proof or as far as Fitzsimmons could do it. There's a seedy-looking man with a pump. Next thing I know, a coloured gas fills the lab. Fitz falls, like the rest. The mind, once one of the sharpest of S.H.I.E.L.D., with so many ideas and technicalities, functions no more.

This body, I hate this body. Last last time, AC was tortured for two days because my body wasn't fast enough. Last time, AC was almost crushed under a mountain because it wasn't fast enough. This time, a young, promising, talented, friend died because this body wasn't strong, fast, brave enough to tackle seedy-looking man.

Hand comes in later on for an assessment.

"How's the situation?" She asks casually to Garrett, almost as if she were asking, 'where's my coffee?'

Traitor. Ward was you protege. You murdered him. For Hydra. Sick bastard.

"Cleared my subordinate, the Cavalry, well, she technically killed herself," Garrett laughs slightly, "and the science boy is dead. Pity, I kind of liked him. We're missing only my old-friend and that weird hacker girl. Probably jumped ship long ago. She'll not be a cause of worry."

I'm enraged by his words. Weird hacker girl? Jumper ship? What kind of coward do they think I am?

Simmons comes rushing in behind Hand.

"Sick woman!" she says, tearing up with rage, "He was my best friend in the world. You don't take that away for Hydra!" With a spike of adrenaline, she tackles Hand. I'm selfish enough to say I enjoyed it. Until a shot through her head puts her in the same world with her best friend.

At least their deaths were quick, I think, trying to console myself. It doesn't work. It never does.

All my life I've learnt to cope with change. But this is different. They were family. They didn't deserve the way they went. They weren't sick murderers. They weren't enemies. To me, they weren't even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. They were a band of misfits, grouped together by AC, providing a young orphan girl the only home she's ever known.

I don't gasp when I see them dragging out AC's body, he's unconscious, or dead. I don't know. But the bloody trail behind him leaves a very good idea.

AC is dead.

These three words seem to hurt me more than the fact that the other team members are dead as well.

I'm alone, again. One year, I found a home, I found a place to be. I found a family. Its gone now. I'll never find it again.

I think I'll change my name. There's been too much pain, too much sorrow in this name.

I think I'm breaking down because AC's death means I'm alone in this world again.

But I know in my heart that that is definitely false.

I'm breaking down because I loved him.

I loved AC.

And all I want is to seek revenge. Revenge for my murdered Team. For my murdered Love.

My murdered Hope.

* * *

**Coulson **

"Your team's gone," Hand says cooly to me, while my head is ringing and my hands are tied at the back of my chair.

I don't remember how long I've been like this. Assuming I get three meals a day, I've been here for thirty days.

"How many meals do I get a day?" I ask, using one of three questions Hand grants me.

"2," she answers, raising her eyebrows.

Not good. It means I've been here for 45 days.

"What do you mean, gone?" I ask again.

"All are dead," Hand replies promptly. I want to just give in, give all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets, everything Fury trusts me with. I'm going to die anyway, why not die more quickly.

I could go to the dead, be re-united with Skye. Maybe in heaven, Skye will love me.

"All but one."

I hear a voice. A quick gunshot. I'm knocked out for a while.

When I wake up, I see a girl dressed in a black unitard, looking softly at me.

"Skye?" I ask weakly, "Hand said you were dead."

"She told me you were dead. You and I. We don't seem to be the type to die so easily. Garret is dead," she says, smiling, but I find something unnatural about the smile.

It's the smile of someone who's lost everything. It's the sad smile of one who has rebuilt her life, but knows it can never be the same. There's something about that smile which makes me wish I could turn back time, not go to the Hub, but somewhere else. Throw Garrett of the plane when I had the chance. I'd do anything to see a pure Skye smile on her lips once again.

I wrap my hands around her, and she does the same. I feel something I haven't for the longest of whiles. Safe. Her smile turns to something I know will be the closest to a Skye smile I'll ever get once again.

"I love you, Skye," I whisper into her ear, unconsciously.

"Me too, AC," she whispers back, "But I'm a murderer. You don't one someone like me. I only killed Hand, Garrett, because I thought you...you were...dead. I just wanted to get revenge."

"It'll take a lot more for me not to love you," I promise. She nods, collapsing into my lap, tired, warn out.

It'll be a long ride. There are graves to visit, tears to weep. But perhaps one day, we'll finally be able to get back what the Hand took from us.


End file.
